Weekend gig guide: We Banjo 3, Pat Green, and Kauffman Center turns 5

What’s a girl group without a little controversy? A backhanded compliment Normani Kordei made about her band mate Camila Cabello recently inspired a maelstrom of hateful backlash on Twitter. The members of the quintet that competed on “The X Factor” in 2012 works in the tradition of the Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child. They’ll set aside their alleged differences to sing massive pop hits like “Worth It” and “Work From Home” on Thursday. With Victoria Monet.

The title of the Lilly Hiatt song “Somebody’s Daughter” is a bit misleading. The singer/songwriter isn’t just anybody’s daughter. Her dad is John Hiatt, the artist who has been crafting smart and funny songs for more than four decades. The family resemblance is striking on clever material like “Somebody’s Daughter” and “Jesus Would’ve Let Me Pick the Restaurant.” Admirers of her father as well as fans of alternative country artist Neko Case will find a lot to like in Hiatt.

One of the most exciting roots-rock bands that has yet to obtain breakout success, the Greyhounds are the dynamic Austin-based duo of Anthony Farrell and Andrew Trube. Their sparse approach is occasionally reminiscent of the Black Keys, but the Greyhounds more closely resemble the music of Los Lobos. Soulful songs like “You’re Gone” and “Cuz I’m Here” wouldn’t be out of place on Los Lobos’ classic album “Kiko and the Lavender Moon.”

With entertainment spread across nine stages, the Kansas City Irish Fest has the potential to overwhelm visitors. Festival organizers reduced some of the uncertainty by bringing back several musical acts that have delighted Kansas City audiences in previous years. The Galway-based We Banjo 3, a quartet that devises a surprising blend of traditional Irish music and American bluegrass, is among the tried-and-true performers. Attendees seeking fresh sounds might begin with a set by up-and-coming Irish folk-rock band Young Folk.

In addition to altering Kansas City’s skyline and acting as the home of organizations including the Kansas City Symphony and the Lyric Opera, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts has hosted concerts by artists ranging from soul icon Aretha Franklin to classical composer Philip Glass. The fifth anniversary of the institution will be celebrated at a commensurately eclectic four-hour open house. Performers on indoor and outdoor stages include party band the Phantastics, jazz musicians representing UMKC, indie-rock group Hembree and the Kansas City Symphony Chamber Ensemble. With performances by KC’s the Grisly Hand and Jessica Paige.

Equals parts indie-rock, heavy metal and jazz, the Jorge Arana Trio makes a challenging racket. Anyone seeking a relaxing night on the town is advised to steer clear of the RecordBar on Friday, but adventurous music lovers will eagerly help the trio of guitarist Jorge Arana, bassist Jason Nash and drummer Josh Enyart celebrate the release of the bone-rattling new album “Mammoth.” The auspicious recording provides further evidence that the trio is one of the most innovative groups in Kansas City. With Riala and 34.

On his most recent single “Everybody We Know Does,” Chase Rice suggests that he and his pals toss empty beer cans into the bed of pickup trucks, know all the words to Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” and enjoy partying in a cloud of dust. Many of the attendees of the inaugural edition of the Tumblewood Country Music Festival are likely to share Rice’s predilections. Cassadee Pope, Pat Green and Rodney Atkins will join Rice as the primary national attractions of the two-festival in Sugar Creek.

The indie-rock communities in Kansas City and Lawrence have long embraced the adventurous guitar-based landscapes devised by homegrown bands like the Appleseed Cast and the Life and Times. If These Trees Could Talk, a heralded quintet from Akron, Ohio, furthers the exploratory advances made by those bands. Simultaneously ethereal and imposing, the instrumental post-metal on If These Trees Could Talk’s new album, “The Bones of a Dying World,” suggests apocalyptic bliss. With Driftoff, Spotlight and A Light Within.

Diplo, one of the most consequential sonic architects of the new millennium, will orchestrate a spirited dance party in the Power & Light District on Sunday. The Mississippi native is best known for his high-profile production work for artists including rapper M.I.A. and pop star Justin Bieber. Diplo will be joined by an array of DJs, rappers and producers including Anna Lunoe, D.R.A.M. and Zeds Dead at the Mad Decent Block Party.

Attending Lyfe Jennings’ concert at the VooDoo could be an expensive proposition. Not only are tickets to the show presented by radio station Hot 103 Jamz pricey, the white linen party theme will motivate many R&B fans to purchase new outfits for the occasion. Jennings’ music is worth the trouble. The gruff-voiced vocalist bridges the divide between classic soul and hip-hop on hits including “Statistics” and “Never Never Land.” With LeVelle.

The band names of Public Enemy and Rage Against the Machine are ideal encapsulations of those ensembles’ vitriolic sensibilities. Prophets of Rage, the moniker of a collaboration between Chuck D of Public Enemy and Tim Commerford, Tom Morello and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine, accurately summarizes the new group’s intent. Bolstered by additional member B-Real of Cypress Hill, Prophets of Rage sounds like the musical embodiment of the Bernie Sanders advocates known as Bernie Bros. With Awolnation and Wakrat.

If Delta Rae didn’t exist, a savvy music executive might be inspired to invent it. The premise is brilliant: six attractive men and women craft a glossy form of Americana that weeds out the rough edges of artists like the Avett Brothers. Not only do the members of the North Carolina band have their fingers on the pulse of the roots-rock scene, their strong vocals and vivid melodies are clearly influenced by “Rumours”-era Fleetwood Mac. With Katy Guillen & the Girls and the Church Sisters.

“White Daisy Passing,” the opening track of Rocky Votolato’s 2006 album “Makers,” is one of the most momentous songs of the previous decade. A gloriously wistful amalgamation of the sound of tortured folk artists ranging from Nick Drake to Elliott Smith, “White Daisy Passing” is a modern-day classic. Votolato, a Seattle-based singer/songwriter, is marking the 10th anniversary of “Makers” by playing the entirety of the album on each date of his current tour. With Chris Staples and Collin Halliburton.